“What is the correct way to say: “Shoot or Photograph?” Some of my colleagues approach this issue with strange caution, turning simple words into the problem of the century
I first encountered this several years ago. At one party I met an acquaintance with whom I had once started doing photography together. In order to somehow maintain the conversation after the greeting, I asked him what seemed to me an adequate question: “How is your passion for photography, are you still taking pictures?” He turned green at my question. Sparks of hatred flashed in his eyes. After some time, he caught his breath and made it clear to me that he was greatly offended by the word “removing.” “I really didn’t think that this was an option for touching,” I tried to justify myself. But he still didn’t let up and grumbled: “I’m not filming! I am taking photos! The cameramen shoot on video, and I take photographs.” It was useless to argue, and there was no need. Seizing the moment, I stepped aside, to a company where they were not so sensitive to this “problem.”
It seems to me that this aggressive outburst lies in an excessive enthusiasm for theory. I remember how he, like a sponge, absorbed reading material on photography. One on one with books. And what in the end?! How did this affect his work?! The compositions are built perfectly. Well, his photographs are correct, indecently correct. But they don’t touch me at all, they don’t encourage me, they don’t educate me. There is no audacity in them, which means there is no individual handwriting of this photographer. But he takes photographs!
In general, I often hear debates on this issue. And often verbal battles end in insults, silence, and boycotts. In general, this prompted me to write this note.
As another example. I once went with a photographer I knew to a salon where he took photographs for documents. Next a woman came and asked: “Do you take photos for a visa to Israel?” Yes, he takes photographs of all documents. Yes, he needs money. But the first thing he hastened to blurt out, with notes of irritation present in his voice, was: “There are hundreds of photos!” And the woman turned around in bewilderment and went to another salon.
I will try to develop my idea using a comparison example.
Have you tried asking for a condom at the pharmacy? Who came up with this word?! It's long and rough. As long as you say what you need, the desire will disappear. Therefore, I prefer to say “condescendants”. The pharmacists used to giggle, but some time passed, and they also began to call it that. And once they asked for advice on which of the condoms was thinner and of better quality. The rude and lengthy word was replaced with a short and cheerful one, and the seller became closer to the buyer. Pharmacists have finally learned the difference between French preziki for 6 dollars and Kazakh ones for 40 cents.
You know, poets divide words into warm and cold. So words like “take a picture” and “condom” can be said to be icy.
Most of my clients and non-clients simplistically refer to photographs as “photos.” And there is no reason to resist and resist. You need to speak the client's language. And think a little like him. And personally, I prefer to “take pictures.” I love this word. It's funny and kind of humorous. “I’m taking a photo,” “Let’s go take a photo,” “Do you want to take a photo?”
How you call your activity is worse or worse better photo yours won't. But if you argue with the client, you will only lose by losing the order.
German Lomkov.
With the appearance in mobile phones cameras, our world has been taken over by a mania for photography. People take pictures of everything around them, from a sign with a funny doctor’s name to a dog running past. And this happens on permanent basis- many people won’t touch food until they post a photo of it on Instagram, and they can’t sit in a new place until it’s uploaded to Facebook. People actually create a photographic chronicle of their own lives, displaying everything down to the last detail. This is where the question arises: how not to drown in a sea of photographs?
The main purpose of photography is to capture the moment and convey to the viewer the emotions of what is happening. The limited number of frames in film cameras forced the photographer to be more careful in choosing his subject. Modern devices make it possible to obtain hundreds, or even thousands of images in one day. Many people manage to fill several large flash drives with pictures in two weeks on vacation. But what value are photographs taken in such quantities for the authors themselves?
by Marcel van Oosten
It seems to many that if you don’t capture every more or less interesting object, then what you see will be of no use. Will such a photographer be able to remember in detail the place he was in without looking at the photographs? After all, all his attention was focused on working with the camera, and he didn’t have much time to contemplate the surrounding beauties. To avoid drowning in a sea of your photos, leave in your album only those photographs that capture truly interesting moments.
by Luis Valadares
It is unlikely that when viewing images even just one year after traveling, you will be emotional about an image of a hot dog eaten on vacation (unless it is made from orange bread with green exotic sausages) or a selfie against a background filled with people. It’s better to estimate the value of a photo in advance and try not to take useless shots at all.
By photographing everything around us, we are not living in the present...
They say that by constantly taking pictures of food before eating it, or taking selfies with friends at every opportunity, we are trying to give up what is happening to us now in order to try to live this moment in the future. But, having taken a photograph, we use it, correct the photo and give it some other image and plot, thereby displacing the emotions of the event that we were filming, although initially our goal was to record them in their original form.
In addition, constantly chasing the opportunity to take an interesting photo, we are unable to relax and get maximum pleasure from our vacation; we cannot concentrate on contemplating the objects around us. This pastime is reminiscent of the hobby of one cartoon character who was chasing a hare with a photo gun, isn’t it?
Modern youth have forgotten how to tell stories
The epidemic of photography has not affected middle-aged people as much, while, according to statistics, 85 percent of young people under the age of 25 actively take pictures of everything around them with only one goal - to post photos on social media.
Increasingly, after a question about how a person rested, instead of a fascinating story, one hears only descriptions of photographs with comments from the series “here I am on the beach”, “here we are in the park”, “” and so on in the same style. As a result, we see only the physical shell of a person and are not able to understand the full depth of his individuality.
Causes of “photo addiction”
Addiction to constant photography really exists; it is similar to the craving for social networks and computer or gambling. Psychologists identify a number of reasons that cause this problem.
Here are the most common:
- The desire to demonstrate oneself, according to psychoanalysts. The main motive of people who take pictures of everything is the hidden desire to show themselves, and not the world. By posting his photos on social networks, expecting likes and positive comments, a person seems to encourage others to praise him. This often affects people who lacked parental attention in childhood; now they yearn to make up for lost time, constantly seeking recognition from others.
- The desire to present oneself in a good light. Many people film themselves primarily in restaurants, nightclubs and entertainment centers, rarely posting photos of her time at home. According to psychologists, this is due to the presence of certain complexes and the desire to show oneself as a “cool party animal” or more successful person than it actually is.
- Using the camera as a toy. Many people shoot simply because they are fascinated by the process itself, which is similar to playing games on the computer to “kill time” when bored. Then the hobby develops into a habit, which becomes very difficult to get rid of.
Perhaps people who store tens or even hundreds of thousands of pictures on their hard drive should think about whether they are living a real life, or are they just wasting a lot of time on a useless activity? After all, if everything changes, then the world around can sparkle with new colors, revealing a lot of unknown things to a person.
How to avoid “photo addiction” and learn to live to the fullest?
Psychoanalysts give several simple tips, which will help “photo-dependent” people change themselves, try to live without constantly recording everything that happens around them on camera.
by Virgilijus OKEANA
- Put your phone aside, and if you are not expecting important calls, then turn it off completely. Then, instead of wasting time on taking photographs, you can devote it to friends and family, while receiving real emotions, and not their pale copy on the phone display.
- Communicate more with the people around you - a photograph will show the viewer what a wonderful dish you had for breakfast or what a beautiful beach you relaxed on, but it will not be able to display your emotions and wealth inner world. Only you can do this yourself, talking with friends and family about the pleasant moments you experienced, and not about how this or that photo was taken. Try to use photographs as little as possible when talking about any event - try to include your memory and convey everything in your own words.
- When in an interesting place, try to fully use your attention and memory - often using a camera, people get out of the habit of remembering little things, shifting this task to the camera. Before taking a photo, “set aside” the frame in your head, and only then release the shutter. After some time has passed, try to remember in detail the place you photographed, and then compare the reconstructed picture with the photograph. Among other things, this approach will help you improve visual memory and attentiveness.
Try to apply the tips outlined above, and before you know it, the piles of boring photos on your hard drive will turn into several small folders filled with really interesting photos. And remember - a habit is formed within three weeks. Hold on for this time, and then it will be easier.
· 09/24/2016
Article text updated: 02/2/2019
Even if you are not at all interested in photography, and you take pictures not just with a point-and-shoot camera, but just with your phone, I’m still sure that the tips presented in this lesson will be useful to you. The fact is that today we will analyze the basics of the art of telling stories using photographs. The ability to shoot in such a way that from several photos you get an interesting story about an event will be useful when shooting a photo report at a wedding, at a children's party, at your friend's birthday party, or when photographing a product for an online store, during a weekend hike in the vicinity of your city or in traveling on vacation to distant countries. In this photo tutorial, we will not discuss what settings to use or what lens to choose for shooting at the school assembly on September 1st (of course, these issues are important, but we have already discussed them a million times in other articles on the site). Today we will talk about the artistic component of an interesting photo story.
Before we begin, I want to point out that the tips presented below should not be considered as absolute truth from a photography guru. Consider them my lecture notes on reportage photography, which I wrote after reading articles and interviews with professional photographers and photojournalists, and then shared the notes with you.
In addition, please note that for illustration I used photographs that I took during an independent trip to the Philippines, only 10 days after purchasing my first amateur DSLR Nikon D5100 KIT 18-55 VR (at the end of November 2011). Naturally, at that time I didn’t even know how to take technically high-quality photographs (most of the frames were taken in semi-automatic mode: scenes “Landscape”, “Sports”, “Portrait”, “Night Portrait”, etc., so don’t look too closely at the data EXIF), not to mention thinking about those aspects of reporting that are needed to shoot an interesting photo report about your vacation.
In general, I hope that you will not judge harshly - just read, “digest” and, I’m sure, you will be able to shoot your own interesting photo stories.
In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a rich merchant. And he had three daughters. Once he was getting ready to go on a long journey and asked what gifts they would like to receive. The youngest said that she didn’t want sweets or jewelry, that she desperately needed a scarlet flower. Dad picked a plant listed in the Red Book, and the consequence of this was that his beloved daughter, a lover of botany, fell into the clutches of a forest beast. At first, their relationship didn’t work out, but “love is evil”... When she returned for a visit to her father’s house, and the sisters turned the hands on the clock, the animal thought that the beauty had gone AWOL, and almost died of melancholy. The girl kissed the monster, which, as it happens, made his heart beat faster - he turned into a handsome prince. The boys immediately ran to their parent, who blessed them family life. The wedding was played to the envy of all the neighbors - they broke three button accordions while the guests danced. And then they began to live happily ever after, gave birth to children, had grandchildren and great-grandchildren...
This is the retelling of the well-known fairy tale in my presentation. I brought it up specifically to show that any story has a beginning, a development of action, a climax and an ending. Stories are powerful. They are universal. They appeal to listeners of all ages. They overcome cultural and language barriers and stand the test of time.
And, being a photographer, we have unique opportunity tell great stories using one of the best storytelling tools - the camera.
So let's pick it up and start taking pictures. But we should remember that we should not just mindlessly shoot at any moment. If we want to capture important events in our life, and do it with the help of interesting photos, then we MUST tell a story with them. We need to understand how to capture the events that are happening before our eyes, and how to use the camera to turn them into a fascinating report reflecting our life experiences.
Why? Because, in 20 years, the feelings that we experienced at the time of shooting will be reflected in our photographs. Pictures are what bring our memories back to life. Let's do it Good work now, and we can enjoy a bright and deep photo report. If we shoot only part of the story, then in the future we will definitely pay attention to the gaps and holes in our photo story.
Also, we need to remember that we are not just taking photographs for ourselves. We are filming for our family, for future generations that will come after us. We won't always be there to tell our stories. But our photographs can do this for us, and they can do a good job if we learn how to tell stories through photographs.
Story structure in photographs
Any story, any report begins with an understanding of the structure of the narrative. To put it simply, a story always consists of three main parts: a beginning, a middle and an end.
Now let's look at these components individually and see what happens in each of them.
Beginning of the photo report
Introduction or outset
The story should begin with an introduction. We must draw the audience into our world and make their stay in it comfortable. The viewer must receive context.
This is easy to do: you need to include details in the frame that will tell the viewer where the photo was taken. The one who looks at the pictures must guess the location of the shooting. To do this, professional photo reporters use symbols: recognizable buildings, monuments, objects. For example, if I were invited to wedding photography, I would remove the entrance door with a poster that says “Sasha + Masha = Love” and two wedding rings are drawn - it’s immediately clear that today we will be watching a report from the wedding.
Let's say you get on a plane, fly to the Philippines and go on a big trip around the islands of this distant country. An incredible adventure with hundreds of events that can happen there. So how do you make an introduction? How to give the viewer a sense of the place where we are going from the first frames?
You can start with a photo of the airport to tell the story of your trip. Or we can show a photo of a hotel room to give an idea of where we are staying. A photo from the boat on which we sailed to the island.
You need to fill the story with photographs with details that will help the viewer build a rich world in their imagination. Move closer and look at small objects that are a small part of a larger scene. This will lead the viewer directly into our story, allowing him to imagine himself in this place.
- Show the audience how you got from point A to point B. Did you take a train, fly by plane, or walk?
- Does the architecture in the country where you come on vacation look the same as ours? Or is different? Show us!
- Show the person reading your solo travel report the little details that enrich the story and give the viewer a better feel for the place in the photo: photograph local food, clothing, crafts.
Presentation of the main characters of the photo story
Now you need to introduce the characters in the story.
The classic plot revolves around the main character who goes on a great journey to achieve some goal. Along the way, he meets other characters who help him or, on the contrary, hinder him.
Who are the characters in our report? You need to take some time to think about this. Regardless of what we're telling the story of, whether it's a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to the Philippines or our daily routine, there will always be people who are critical to our story. Sometimes we forget to take photos of them because we take their presence for granted. But often we simply fail to understand what they are important part our story.
And so we must begin to learn to see how central the role of characters is in our photo essay. To take interesting photo reports, you need to start by setting yourself the task of photographing them, and doing it in such a way that they come out alive. All our heroes have their own roles in our play. And our photos can show this role.
While on vacation in the Philippines, we were very annoyed by pearl sellers. They made an offer to buy a necklace when we were sitting on the veranda in the morning, basking in the rays of the sun, having breakfast. When we swam and sunbathed on the snow-white Philippine beaches, they haunted us. Even when we sailed to a desert island, there were also “pearl sellers” there...
During excursions through the jungle, visiting the chocolate hills and a monkey nursery, and rafting on a river in the jungle of the Philippines, we took hundreds of photographs. But what photos should be included in your vacation report? Those that will help you tell full story? Photos of the characters who accompanied us on the trip: the damned souvenir seller, or the driver who delivered us to the reserve, or the cook in a street restaurant.
We only saw this guy for maybe five minutes. Then we went deeper into the jungle and took a lot of great photos. But this photo of the annoying salesman can become a bridge connecting us with that distant island. If we went on vacation to the Philippines again, I would photograph it again.
Photographer's point of view
Now is the point where many aspiring photographers stumble when telling their photo stories. We forget to give the viewer the opportunity to feel our point of view. This is what answers the question: WHO is telling the story?
There are so many things in front of us that can be taken off that it is very easy to forget to include our own self. Getting our presence in the frame can be difficult. But this is a critical part of the story. Who you are and what you worry about has an extraordinary impact on the story, so you need to make sure that the audience can see you, that they can recognize you.
This can be done in a simple or complex way. We can, for example, include our feet or hand in the frame. Then suddenly the viewer becomes interested in the person behind the camera. It's amazing how little it takes to completely change the experience of photography!
At this point I should show a photo where, for example, I am shooting a seascape on the edge of a cliff with a wide-angle lens, and at the bottom of the frame are my boots. Or, for example, while shooting, I held the camera with my right hand and extended my left hand to the person depicted in the portrait. Then an unusual atmosphere is immediately created. Many have probably seen the footage: a girl in a beautiful dress is shot from the back, she extends her hand to the photographer, dragging him along with her (the hand of the one who is shooting is in the frame)…
But, especially when we take photographs for our family photo album, this is not enough. We need to fully enter the frame to become part of our own story.
This can be achieved by taking a “selfie”, holding the camera at arm's length and taking a photo of yourself. There is nothing wrong with this, and such photos are important. Cameras with rotating screens make it easier to capture such shots.
A couple of tips on how to take selfies: pay attention to the quality of lighting and take pictures at a slightly angle, not from a frontal angle.
Also try taking a full-length portrait of yourself. You can use a tripod and remote control, set everything up and take a group photo. Take a few pictures to make sure everything turns out just right.
Photo 3. Let's get acquainted with the participants of the tour of the Philippine islands. My wife. How to shoot a photo report. Photography lessons for beginners. Nikon DSLR D5100 KIT 18-55 VR. 1/640, 5.6, 100, 55. Shot on a tripod.
Of course, you can ask other people to take a portrait of the author of the story.
In general, there is no need to be an invisible storyteller. Our friends and family will want to see photos of us, and so will we, years from now. Get in the frame!
The middle of the photo story
Now that we have finished the introduction and introduced the main characters, it is time to continue the story. And this is the middle of the story in which the action takes place. Here we are looking for ways to arouse the viewer's interest.
It seems to me that the photographs that I provided as illustrations for the photo report about the vacation are not very dynamic. A few things to look for when filming a vacation report in the Philippines.
Movement. Not only is it interesting to look at in a photograph, it literally moves the story forward. You should always pay attention to moving objects and think about how to photograph them to tell more. You can even try to take a picture on long exposure to add a sense of movement.
Emotions. The action can be more than just physical. It can be emotional. You need to try to remove emotions in order to convey feelings in the story.
Interaction. Once our characters begin to interact, they move the story forward. Take it off!
Conflict. Above all, conflict and struggle are part of what drives photographic history. I think many will agree that a story on the theme “I went out of the house and saw a pretty sunset” is not an attractive story for the viewer. We must show the problems that our hero faces, as well as how he solves them - this is what attracts the audience, especially if the problems are solved successfully. “I went outside, climbed a high mountain, got lost, met a donkey who led me back to the path. We sat together and watched a stunningly beautiful sunset." What a story!
End of the photo story
I often forget to photograph this part of the photo report. After we've captured the action, we often decide we've captured something important and can stash the camera in our backpack. But the report is not finished; if we put the camera away, we will leave the audience (and ourselves) confused, unsatisfied.
So always, always, always when we shoot we need to think about how to complete our photo report. What can be filmed to show that the story is over? That the conflict has been resolved? Has the hero found his way to the finish line?
Perhaps the sun setting over the horizon. Or a plane flying home. Farewell waves to new friends met on the journey.
The example of photo story structure that we looked at above is a long story, but even the shortest narrative follows the same rules. For example, a good report on the topic “How I spent yesterday evening at home” should also have all the described components: scenes in the living room, children jumping on the sofa, then quietly reading a book, and finally – a sleeping baby in the crib.
Even the simplest events will become an interesting story if we shoot all the required parts of the photo report.
Intermediate final
A photograph can capture a short story within a larger photographic story, for example, the moment of saying goodbye to our guide, who was taking the tarsier monkeys to the nursery.
Ultimate ending
We also need to remember to film the big finale: our departure from the city or country, plane or bus, or details of our house when we returned after a big trip.
I advise you to read Artem Chernov’s article “Constructing drama and photo stories. How are linear and nonlinear stories related? It describes in more detail the composition of the photo story, and also presents a short video (26 seconds), after viewing which you will see all the components of a good photo story that we discussed.
It became clear what exposition, plot and development of action, climax and epilogue are?
Taking a short photo report
Context
We can tell many stories even in one frame, but what we need to make sure to include is context. Stepping back a little and including more space in the frame will help us utilize all the elements of the photo essay that we discussed earlier. This will give us a feel for the place where everything is happening, perhaps include more characters, some action, conflict. Every time before we press the shutter button, we need to think about what we are going to include in the frame, make sure that this or that object will help tell the story, and will not distract attention from the main subject.
Tricks with wide, medium and close-ups when shooting a photo report
A quick way to develop photography storytelling skills is to use a wide, medium, and close-up approach. We take 3 pictures.
- Overall plan – is used as an introduction to the story, and serves to show the viewer all the important details of the context of our story. Here we step back and hardly show our presence. It can be difficult to remember to include a long shot in a photo story, especially if we're really caught up in the action happening at the moment of shooting, but we need to remember that this part of the story is very important.
- Medium shot - to get to know the main characters of the report, as well as to show the action in the frame. It will help the viewer understand the photo story: what is happening and who is doing it.
- Close-up- to show details. They add color to our reporting and help people immerse themselves deeper into the scene and be present at the scene. We need to try to look for details that someone usually doesn’t notice, but that say something about our history.
In particular, walking around the subject, changing the angle of view and perspective can help. This will help us see the scene from a different perspective, vantage point, and will allow us to find the images that best tell our story.
- The wide shot gives us context, showing the girl going to the market with her parents, showing where she lives.
- The medium shot allows us to focus on the girl better, drawing attention to her and her father.
- A close-up allows us to better notice details and emotions on the face of the person being photographed.
When I photograph such series for reporting, I use lenses with different focal lengths: wide to show the street; mid range to highlight the main subject; telephoto lens - to cut out unnecessary things and concentrate on details.
Preparing to shoot a report
It is clear that tips for shooting a photo report cannot be contained within one article. And today’s lesson is just a sketch, a preface to a large series of conversations on this topic. I have repeatedly said that when I write such reviews, first of all, I better remember the information discussed. I hope that now I can make my photo reports more interesting for viewers. You just need to remember these tips:
- Take photographs that can serve as an introduction, the main part of the story, and a conclusion. So that there is context in the pictures.
- Try to ensure that the pictures are not boring, and that in the photo the viewer sees emotions, action, interaction between different objects in the frame, contrast, conflict.
- You should always diversify your photo report by alternating wide, medium, close-up and super-close-ups. Also, do not forget to change horizontal and vertical images.
Ideally, you need to ensure that each individual photograph contains its own little story, which will be the chapter of the overall narrative. How to achieve this is a separate question, and not an easy one. I will study more. Now I can remember that the greatest emotional impact on the viewer is made by those photographs that force him to use his imagination. For example, when he is forced to think about what happened a second before the photographer pressed the shutter release, or a second after that moment.
A lot is devoted to the issues of the artistic component of a photograph in Lydia Dyko’s textbook “Conversations on Photography Skills.” I advise you to definitely find it and read it carefully.
Let's get back to how to tell a photo story. Professional reporters advise always drawing up a shooting plan and a list of required stories. At the beginning of the lesson, I noted that the advice we will receive applies to most types of photo reports. Why? Because the principles described here can be used not only when shooting active actions such as dance competitions and sports competitions, but also even when photographing landscapes and objects for an online store catalog.
Look at the previous article for a review of the Case Logic TBC-411-Black camera backpack. You will also see total, average and close-up. If I had a macro lens, I would also take a super close-up photograph, for example, of the clasp pawl.
Here are a few templates for a plan for shooting a photo report on different topics.
- Wedding photography. You have been invited to take photographs at a wedding. You need to understand that the whole story will consist of small chapters, each of which will have an introduction, middle and end. So, in the bride’s room you need to take a general shot of the room with a scattered dress, shoes and cosmetics. Medium shot - the girl is wearing a wedding dress and showing off in front of the mirror. Large – hands with an unusual manicure. We arrived at the registry office - again general form the wedding hall, the middle one – the parents of the newlyweds, the large one – a tear rolling down the bride’s cheek.
- Is your child taking part in a dance competition? General plan: notice on the fence of the school and the building itself educational institution behind. The middle one is a dancing boy or girl. Close-up - the face of a teacher biting his lips while watching his student perform.
- Bike review? One shot is great on the street of a metropolis. Second, the bicycle takes up the entire frame. The third is photographing details: reflectors, pedals, brand name, etc.
Turn on the TV right now and watch the news or a movie. Pay attention to how the cameraman changes plans, where he focuses the viewer's attention. When shooting a photo story, we should do the same.
This, my friends, is where I end my photo lesson on shooting interesting reports at a wedding, matinee or on vacation. But I’m not saying goodbye to you. The fact is that a photo competition for the best photo report will be announced in the near future. I will announce the topic and conditions of participation later. The main prize will be the Case Logic TBC-411-Black photo backpack, reviewed in the previous article. Subscribe using the form below to receive notifications of new publications so as not to miss this magical day.
“On March 3, during a big storm on the East Coast, I headed out to the ocean to document wave activity. The road took me to Great Island Common, New Castle, New Hampshire, where the Whaleback Lighthouse is visible, standing 12 kilometers from the coast. I was hoping to photograph the large waves crashing around the lighthouse and Mother Nature did not disappoint.
Great Island Common – vast open park, where people come for a picnic in summer and warm winter.
Upon arrival, I mounted my Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR with a Sigma 150-600mm lens on a tripod, positioned to the right of the tree to shelter myself from the gusts of the north wind. Many people know how difficult it is to hold a 600mm lens stable in strong winds, even using a tripod.
I set up the camera and waited until I saw the wave begin to hit the lighthouse. Then I continued filming until the episode ended, not knowing how the wave would behave. Most of the shots weren't great, but about three of the shots that were taken over the course of about 45 minutes were pretty decent.
When I got home, I selected one image to edit and uploaded it to Instagram. When a local television station shared the photo on their Facebook page (with my permission), numerous shares, comments, and likes immediately followed.
But one comment said I stole the image from another New England photographer, Eric Gendon. First I told the commenter that this was indeed my photo and that I had the original RAW file, and then I looked at another photographer's page and was amazed. We had the same images, captured down to the millisecond, with seemingly the same perspective and location.
This photo was taken by me, Ron Riesman.
Photo by Eric Hendon.
Lightroom processing aside, the photos look virtually identical at first glance, except for the water in the foreground and the different placement of a few patches of white foam. But even they were identical in size and shape, and I know that such elements can be easily moved using the stamp tool in Photoshop, so I was worried: maybe my image had been stolen and slightly altered?
Initially, I only had access to a low-resolution image of him, so I couldn't make out the finer details that ultimately helped me make sure we both had the originals. But after overlaying the images in Photoshop, I was amazed: the lighthouse and the waves matched almost down to the pixel. The differences in the water in the foreground and the white caps of foam on the horizon kept me from claiming that he had stolen my shot.
Another local photographer compared my photo to a higher resolution version of Eric's image and noticed that the spacing of the vertical strips of iron fencing around the top of the lighthouse was slightly different compared to my image. This meant that the other photographer was most likely standing slightly to the left of where I was.
Location of photographers.
Since the 60D that Gendon shot on has an APS-C sensor, he was likely positioned a little further away, which would have compensated for the 1.6x crop factor or used a shorter focal length. And this would explain the difference in the location of the white foam.
However, the lighthouse and the crashing wave matched exactly, which is surprising since the pictures were taken by chance by two different photographers.
I didn't know Eric, we each picked the location at random, we were both shooting on different cameras (60D and 5D Mark IV) with different sized sensors; the 60D has a continuous shooting mode with a frequency of 5.3 frames per second, the 5D Mark IV – 7 frames per second. We both used the 600mm focal length; The aperture, shutter speed and light sensitivity settings are also almost the same (F/8, ISO 400, 1/1600s and F/8, ISO 320, 1/1000s). We both ended up choosing the same photo from that day to post online, and later found out that we were only 28 meters away from each other.
I turned to Google to see how often this happens and was able to find just one article from 2011, which talked about two photographers shooting at a surfing competition in Huntington Beach who captured almost identical shots of the surfer and the movement of the wave.
If you've shot water in continuous burst mode, you know how different each exposure is, even if the time difference is only 1/7 of a second between frames. For five years, I taught night sky photography workshops to over 200 photographers, often focusing on the same subject, shooting with similar cameras and lenses at the same time, even using continuous time-lapse photography. But until now, I have never seen two images so similar, as if they were virtual clones.
Although this is a rare occurrence, I think that as cameras get faster and photographers get more and more prepared for their shoots, such cases will become more frequent. This happens every day with stationary or slow moving objects (buildings, sun/moon rising), but almost never with moving water."
Most people talk about the process of photography as taking photographs. However, many serious photographers turn to creation photographs.
One might be inclined to dismiss this as jargon, but there is clearly a difference in attitude. “Creating” implies a creative process, while “getting” has a negative connotation: appropriation or even theft. Or, not so negatively: “capture the moment”; photography's ability to extract the essence of a scene, preserve it, and share it. But let's go back, is it possible to do this well without creating something new? Even when a scene is not staged, the photographer has some level of authorial responsibility.
So the question is: is it really that bad? Does it inherently mean frivolity and quick shots? Should every genuine photographer be encouraged to creation? Or can photography for the sake of observation alone be a valid, serious form of art?
Itai
Clap! Prepare for battle... Just kidding ;) I use filming, making, filming, and filming interchangeably in my lessons, course notes, and presentations. If I kept using the same world all the time, I'd sound like a broken record. For some reason I never use the word snap, maybe I need to consult a therapist to find out why. At least we don't have the same problem as the television industry where sometimes you have to "shoot the pilot."
Greg
When I take pictures on vacation and do it just for memory, I take pictures. I'm too busy enjoying myself to worry about composition (a lot), so I take the shot and go. If I'm working or shooting creatively, it's a much more thoughtful thing; I compose, analyze, think about exposure and depth of field. I will take/shoot/shoot/shoot and take pictures, but at this moment I am not taking pictures.
Reid
On a related note, I try to avoid shooting because of its negative (violent) connotations. It's a little complicated. :)
Stefan Pechard
"And in the end, the love you accept, equal to the love you do" - Sir Paul McCartney
Graham Hutchison
I remember moments
Answers
John Kavan
I think each process has equal merit, based just on my own experience creating Project 365. In doing this project with the express goal of not being overly repetitive, I had to do a lot of different things, and that really means photographing and photographing:
Adoption
For me this is the art of seeing the moment and perceive his. Perhaps the jargon doesn't really imply that, but that's how I see it. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a master of this kind of thing, holding onto ordinary moments in time in a way that inspires and educates us. He didn't create the picture, he saw it and captured it. This, I think, is the essence of photography. Candid photography or photojournalism really refers to this, and to master it is to have an eye for the moment.
Now, the negative connotation on this would probably be the style of the shot, basically just capturing an image with no concept of framing, lighting, obstacles, etc. It's, in a sense, classic travel photography, I suppose, and serves as a basis for differentiating casual shooters against advanced amateurs or pros.
Manufacturing
At this end of the spectrum, it's about creating the conditions for the image. It's about about creating lighting or observing lighting, and positioning for the image that you know should come. It can be as detailed and controlled as the almost cinematic work of Dave Hill, or as studied and patient in the work of Ansel Adams. This is the place where art, landscape and similar works fall into, and to master it, you must be able to anticipate the outcome and prepare for it.
To take a photo, the negative connotation for me is that it's a complete setup, does everything for you. For example, you can buy devices such as StopShot, which, when all set up, perform all operation, including triggering the shutter. It's basically all in and allows you to work, and you'll see this a lot with water droplets. Don't get me wrong, the images can be great, but for me it loses something when your finger is not on the shutter but on the machine.
Conclusion
Obviously I'm not putting my meager efforts into the same class as some of the masters I've listed, but I think I've tried to do both at different times. Honestly, I think I'm more successful at taking pictures, controlling the conditions of the outcome, but taking photographs is also fun and rewarding, the element of surprise can be a bonus. I think doing both can make you a better photographer. At least I think it's more fun. :)
CadentOrange
I think Henri Cartier Bresson's example is too simplistic. His candid photo was carefully planned, as he would position himself in the right spot, carefully capture the frame, and then release the shutter at the crucial moment. Take this as an example. tinyurl.com/3wh2fmn You can't expect me to believe he was walking, saw a bike coming, and then took out his camera? Most likely, he positioned himself at the top of the stairs, carefully composed his shot and waited for the cyclist to appear. He certainly did more than just “take” the photos!
John Kavan
@Philip Goh - What if the cyclist never showed up? That was the difference, and of course this post is rather simplistic since this is not a forum for a PhD dissertation on the work of famous street photographers. :)
jrista ♦
I think @Philip Goh's example shows what most photographers probably do both things... do at the same time And take photographs. I'm not sure if it's always one or the other... I think quite often it's a combination of both. Even in landscape photography, you come across one of those rare, simply fantastic scenes with great lighting, and you just have to "photograph" it... and in the process, you might just "make" a piece of art at the same time. ;)
John Kavan
Cartier-Bresson is also quoted as saying, "Of course, it's all luck." He also said, "I wandered the streets all day, feeling very excited and ready to jump, determined to 'trap' life—to save life in the process of living."
Anonymous
My answer is yes". There are photos I take (things I happen to be in the right place at the right time to record) and photos I take (things I might research or organize). In both cases they are an expression of myself. It may be easier to see that when I'm having a lot of trouble organizing the image, but even reportage-type photographs depend on me putting myself in a situation that I feel has photographic value.
On that note, there are two significant portraits by Yusuf Karsh of Winston Churchill. Although the camera and lighting were set up in advance, it is fair to say that the first (and by far the most famous of these, the shot of a frowning Churchill having just had his cigar stolen from his lips) was "taken" and the second, from a smiling , a relaxed Churchill, was “done.” Karsh preferred the latter; It can be argued that the former, representing defiance of Britain, had sufficient propaganda value to launch Lend-Lease and prevent the conquest of Great Britain. You decide which one was "art".
Lindes
Personally, I believe that these are two different, equally significant activities. And while I say and mean different, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive to me.
“To photograph,” it seems to me, means to make something that exists. Whether it is a facial expression, a pattern of movement (anything from flowing water to animals to various human creatures)... Any moment (short or long) in time that exists separate from the photographer.
To “take” a photograph, it seems to me, means to create the conditions under which the image can be captured in accordance with the specific vision (or, if you prefer, foresight) of the photographer. This can include everything from simply selecting camera position, angle, focal length, focusing distance and exposure settings, right down to the careful creation of the scene, scenery, lighting and everything else you have.
Often a good photograph will be (in my opinion) both. For example, a complex portrait setup - with a set (or at least a backdrop), lighting, costuming, hair styling and makeup, etc. - is a portrait that is made... But also, if the subject is given any control what they do in this setting is a portrait that is taken.
Other times it may be closer to one or the other, although I suspect it's almost always at least a little bit of each. A “made” still life “takes” from the objects located in it, and even in a quickly “taken” picture, photographers “made a choice”, even if only to aim and when to press a button.
Of course, there will be numerous opinions on such a question, often contradictory. However, after listening to several of them over the years and reflecting on myself, I hope the above is an accurate reflection of the philosophy I have adopted regarding this matter.
If this requires any clarification, please ask in the comments and I will do my best to update it to improve clarity.
Thanks for the interesting question!
labnut
Great question, but when I first read it, it seemed like semantics (how wrong could I be?).
Now, as I read the responses, I realize that there is a deeper process that is very similar to De Bono's Six Thinking Hats approach. With this approach, you consciously put on a certain type of thinking. This means that you consciously enter this mode of thinking and apply this approach to the problem.
In the same way, we as photographers wear different photography hats at different times:
- Journalist's hat. Taking pictures (Red Hat)
- Director's hat. Taking a photo (Blue Hat)
- Artist's hat. We create photo. (Green Hat)
- Critic's hat. We we evaluate photo. (black hat)
You ask
So the question is: is it really that bad? Does it inherently mean frivolity and quick shots? Should every authentic photographer be encouraged to create? Or can photography for the sake of observation alone be a valid, serious form of art?
First A good photographer intuitively uses his store of experience when he "takes" a photograph. He does not need to consciously gather this knowledge or plan the photograph. It occurs without conscious will. This is often desirable because creativity flourishes without the limitations placed on us by our conscious “creative” mind.
Second Every photographer should be encouraged to "create" in the early stages of their photographic journey. By consciously engaging and practicing skills, we embed them into deeper stores of knowledge so that they are quickly available to you without having to think about it when you do the “taking” later.
Thus, we must distinguish between the “taking” of a non-professional amateur (pictures) and the “taking” of an experienced photographer. In his case, it is the fluency of a practiced skill.
The diagram below depicts De Bono's Six Thinking Hats (Copyright The De Bono Group). Everyone is supposed to wear each hat in turn when you approach a given issue, so that you approach it from all angles.
chuqui
I do both. but I put more time and effort into creating them, planning the trip, planning the images I want to purchase (item and style), and understanding what I want to achieve before I start and then adapting to what happens, when I get there and start working on the spot. There is a positive aspect to taking photographs and recording what you see; The benefit in quality and reliability is that you work up front to ensure that your time and energy are not wasted and that you get the images you want/need and can use.
Grant Palin
Good question. I do both.
I sometimes take "snapshots" of anything that looks remotely interesting. In that case, I don't worry too much about the subject or the outcome. These paintings are mostly so-so, although I get the occasional gem out of it.
The rest of the time (I'm guessing it's about half and half), I was really thinking and planning my photos. I look for interesting subjects, find an interesting perspective, check the color and lighting, and then leave. The results here are invariably good, rarely less than that. And sometimes I get especially nice photos(IMO).
Simply "taking pictures" does not always produce reasonable results, although snapshots may be required. On the other hand, "making" photographs such as still life, landscapes and architecture require more time to set up for best results.
mattdm
So you do both, but for you, "doing" is the better approach, and "taking" what you do when you don't really think about it due to lack of care or lack of time.
Fake name
Pedantic here,
I would say "takes pictures" or " removes" photos.
You can never "take" a photograph, since photography is based on a group of semi-ordered photons focused through a lens. Unless you personally host every photon that goes into creating images, you don't "do" anything, Just take over what already exists.
Even if you are in complete control of a scene, you are still filming a representation of it rather than presenting it (perhaps unless you are painting a picture).
Think of it like an animal - you can "catch" a bird or "take" a bird, but you can never "make" a bird.
Basically, you can say whatever you want but demanding to “take” photographs will always be technically incorrect .
A word of caution: I'm an engineer and work with professional scientists, so I may be more knowledgeable about the technical aspects of formulations than most. However, from a dictionary point of view, the above is correct.
Personally, I'm inclined to use snapshot/photography instead of do/do respectively, as other answers describe their use as it conveys the same information while being semantically correct.
Opinion: If you ask me, this whole "Do" photo sounds like professional photographers- snobs, and try to claim that they are doing something fundamentally different from tourists on vacation, rather than simply clarifying this. In the refinement category there is more than enough space to accommodate both.
Change:(slightly more mature look)
I think it's better to think about what you can "do" or "choose" composition photography (and, indeed, it is, and editing is where all the creativity lies), or even make/change camera, used for shooting images (do some really creative things). However you still don't photograph, You doing composition, which is just reflected On the photo.
Transferring a composition into an image is a purely mechanical process that does not require creativity or creativity. This is all surrounding an activity where there is art.
mattdm
By this definition anyone ever does anything other than nuclear fusion? I mean, the molecules are already there; people just arrange them.
mattdm
The question of whether professional (or other non-professional photographers) do something fundamentally different from tourists on holiday is an interesting one, although I'm afraid it falls rather heavily on the argumentative side of "subjective and argumentative".
Fake name
@mattdm (3rd comment) - that's why I made it as subtext.
mattdm
Oh! I think that's exactly the case, actually. The main difference between a "tourist" , doing photograph, and the photographer, doing photography is that in the first case the shutter click is the entire photographic process, while in the latter it is the key moment, but only Part creating a finished photograph. (There are before and after steps.)
happytotakephotos
The difference is pure elitist semantics. I know many photographers who better photographers than me, who say “take” photographs and never say “take” photographs. It's pure jargon, and although their quality is better than mine, they don't do anything, and I just take something. If you and I had a garden using the same methods and my tomatoes grew better than yours, there should be no different term for how I grew my tomatoes compared to how you grew them. I just grew better tomatoes than you. "Taking" photographs is the most common way a camera is used by a camera. Many people try to do something artful (at least at some point) when taking photographs, and this is done with varying degrees of success. Enter new term, for example, “take photos” is really not necessary. If we both run very fast and I'm faster than you, I don't run while you just run. We both run or run, I'm just better. Don't be snobby photographers. Everyone with a camera is trying to do something for some reason. Motive does not change the terminology of the action.
John Kavan
The term "taking a photograph" is not new, Ansel Adams coined the term decades ago and even released a book in 1935 called "The Making of a Photograph" which was widely circulated. Instead of believing that there is elitism behind it, you might think that he is trying to tell you something about how to think about the subject you are photographing.
Ornello
Since you asked: none. Photographers take (or take) photographs, not “photographs.” Artists make "paintings". A picture is a "picture". But there is no photograph. People have used these terms loosely, but since you are asking for clarification, I offer it. The word "photography" predates photography, and since photography was something new, it had to be given a new name. Some people who were not philosophers were not so careful with such things and used the old term instead of the new (and then less familiar) term "photography". A “painting” is a work of art created by hand. The photograph is neither. It's more of a class difference, especially in England. "Painting" still means "painting" by those who own the paintings. Degas and Munch made "pictures". Steichen and Stieglitz took "photos".
In random situations, you will hear people refer to photographs as “photos.” However, in more serious or formal contexts this usage is incorrect.
This century dictionary entry should be helpful:
mattdm
Do you want to develop? Merriam-Webster's definition of photography is " photo or an image obtained by photography" (emphasis added), and the OED is virtually identical: " photo or an image obtained by photography.” Sometimes words have special meanings in certain areas beyond their general definition, but I don't Think, that this is so. Can you explain what the distinction you're making is, and more importantly, why it's important?
mattdm
Yes, indeed. And like I said, you can be as reckless as you want, but this kind of quest is to freeze (or, in this case, very clearly wish return his) language in its Victorian era meanings is useless.
mattdm
Then perhaps this should be discussed with those populist swindlers at the OED.
Michael Clarke
@Ornello Teenage girls are not the only ones English speaking people who include photography in possible definitions Images. So only the upper classes in Victorian England, who owned the paintings, could define words for the entire English-speaking world for the rest of history? And yet some accuse photographers who insist on the distinction between "take" and "make" of being snobs?
Michael Clarke
Word " engine" predates the invention of the automobile. This does not negate the acceptance of the word to include the operation of a vehicle. Or do the owners of upper-class Victorian English paintings refuse to use any word in such a way that it can be applied to the evolution of the original meaning?
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